Deborah J. Crusan

An assessment of ESL writing placement assessment

Abstract What are the best assessment practices for ESL and international students who must be placed into first-year composition courses at both two- and four-year institutions in the United States? In this article, I examine this issue in three ways. First, I enumerate the stances in the literature; following that I submit results of preliminary research which questions modes of writing assessment and their relationship to final grades in composition classes. Finally, I present results of an internet search of one set of prominent American institutions’ placement practices. From this data, it might be inferred that we use multiple instruments to place ESL students into composition classes rather than resorting to a multiple-choice test (especially a standardized instrument) as the sole means of determining placement. My primary purposes in this paper are to argue that second language composition specialists need to examine our placement practices and aim for a reconciliation of these practices with our classroom pedagogies. Further, if we are not involved in placement decisions at our various institutions, we must strive to be included in important decisions concerning our students and to be advocates for second language writers.

The Politics of English Second Language Writing Assessment in Global Contexts

Large-scale, life-changing English as a foreign language (EFL) tests, often featuring a written component, have become firmly entrenched in today’s increasingly globalised world. As such, some influential authors have written about learners, teachers, and test-takers becoming progressively ensnared within powerful systems and cultures of assessment that are depersonalised, demoralising, and often dehumanising (McNamara & Roever, 2006; Shohamy, 2001; Spolsky, 1997). The Politics of English Second Language Writing Assessment in Global Contexts provides critical perspectives on the controversial intersection between politics and second language (L2) writing assessment.This chapter turns the spotlight on Vietnam, where English learning is booming due to globalization and is now further accelerated by the central government’s 2020 National Foreign Languages Project. Despite its significance, little is known about the project’s actual effects on EFL writing assessment. To bridge this gap, the current study tracks the professional life history of two Vietnamese instructors as they progressed through different positions and illustrates how the national strategies were adopted and adapted by their institutions and the teachers themselves.

Filling the Gaps: L2 Grammar and Assessment Preparation for ELA Teachers

An examination of pre-service English language arts (ELA) teacher preparation programs shows that many fail to adequately equip students in two crucial areas: English as a second language (ESL) grammar and ESL assessment. This chapter explains why the needs of English language learners (ELLs) in these areas are different from those of native speakers of English and why explicit Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) training in these two areas are essential for ELA teachers. The authors then describe possible curricular models and classroom activities and practices and strategies meant to close these gaps in ELA teacher training programs. They suggest that National TESOL standards need to be established for teacher preparation programs that will adequately prepare ELA teachers and others with the necessary skills and understanding to inform their practice.